CBU Researchers Receive $600,000 in NSERC Discovery Grant Funding

Three researchers at Cape Breton University have secured a combined $600,000 in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants program. This funding supports long-term research in mathematics, biology and chemistry, strengthening CBU’s contributions to foundational science and the development of highly qualified personnel.

The NSERC Discovery program funds ongoing research programs that advance knowledge across the natural sciences and engineering. Several CBU researchers also received Discovery Launch Supplements, which provide additional support to early-career researchers who are establishing their labs or programs.

Funded Research

Dr. Scott Rodney – Degenerate Elliptic Partial Differential Equations: Regularity of Weak Solutions with Applications

Dr. Rodney has been awarded $170,000 ($34,000 per year for five years) to study partial differential equations (PDEs) using classical, functional and harmonic analysis (three major branches of math with applications in science and engineering). The program investigates the deep connection between the regularity of weak solutions to PDEs and weighted norm inequalities of Sobolev and Poincare type. The research programme supports national and international collaborations with students, postdocs, mathematicians and math research groups in Canada, the US and Europe.

“Part of the strength of any NSERC application is how the programme supports students and postdocs,” says Dr. Rodney. “It’s really cool that I can support more students at CBU.  I’ve started posting the work of all my previous students on my website. It is fun to look at these and think of where they are now – studying math, working in finance, education or health sciences .  With this grant, I can hire more NSERC research assistants and support NSERC undergraduate awards, bring researchers and collaborators to CBU, and support my colleagues.”

Dr. Alana Pindar – BerryVital: Quantifying the ecosystem and nutritional value of pollinating services in Atlantic Canada

Dr. Pindar has been awarded $222,500 ($42,000 per year for five years, plus a launch supplement of $12,500) for BerryVital, an innovative research program examining how wild bee diversity and pollination influence the nutritional quality of fruits that support food security in Atlantic Canada. Using Cape Breton Island (Unama’ki) as a living laboratory, the project will establish the Unama’ki Bee Atlas and integrate biodiversity surveys, acoustic monitoring and nutritional analyses to better understand pollination services. The findings will provide evidence-based strategies to protect wild pollinators while strengthening resilient and sustainable food systems across Atlantic Canada.

“Receiving this NSERC award is an incredible honour and an investment in research that connects biodiversity, food security and community well-being,” says Dr. Pindar. “Wild bees are essential not only for pollinating our crops, but also for supporting the nutritional quality of foods that sustain communities.”

Dr. Xenia Medvedeva – Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Organic Transformations for Sustainable Catalysis

Dr. Medvedeva has been awarded $207,500 ($39,000 per year for five years, plus a $12,500 launch supplement) to explore the design of advanced nanoparticle catalysts for sustainable organic synthesis. By developing highly efficient, reusable catalysts for insertion and coupling reactions, the research aims to advance the transition from conventional homogeneous catalysis to heterogeneous, recyclable catalytic systems. A major focus of the program is improving catalyst stability to minimize, or ultimately eliminate, transition metal contamination in pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and other products used in everyday life, contributing to more sustainable and environmentally responsible chemical manufacturing.

“I was thrilled to learn that I had received an NSERC Discovery Grant. While I was confident in both my research program and my application, I was especially humbled and excited by the thoughtful and enthusiastic feedback from the review committee,” says Dr. Medvedeva. “It’s difficult to put into words what it feels like to have your ideas recognized by leading researchers in your field as innovative, important and full of potential. For me, that validation of the scientific merit of my work was just as meaningful as the funding itself.”

For more information about research at Cape Breton University, visit www.cbu.ca/research.